Last Wednesday, around 12 noon, at Maryland
Bus Stop, along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, peace was temporally disrupted by
rampaging miscreants, otherwise called, “Area Boys”, over alleged
killing of a hawker by a fast moving truck.
The yet to be
identified middle-aged hawker, while fleeing from law enforcement agents
for fear of arrest, suddenly ran into the truck and died on the spot.
Consequently, Area Boys around mobilized and started attacking, in
sight, all buses operating under the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, inflicting
severe injuries on passengers in the process.
It was gathered
that the incident happened when the hawker, a male, suddenly sighted the
convoy of officials of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), who were
returning from an operation in Ojuelegba, enroute to Alausa, Ikeja.
Apparently, thinking they were coming for him, he fled across the road,
oblivious of the fast moving on-coming vehicle, which is a delivery
truck of a leading producer of soft drinks, and, before any one could
say “Jack Robinson,” he had been crushed to death. Irked by the
development, the Area Boys, in their hundreds, took t the road went
after BRT buses, smashing their screens and attacking passengers on
board. They were alleged to have also robbed the passengers of their
belongings such as cash, bags, and mobile phones, among others. It took
the intervention of men of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Lagos
Taskforce, and other security agents to restore normalcy, but not after
over 48 buses hadbeen vandalized. It was gathered that the hawker had
been arrested before and was released after payment of N10, 000 fine.
“On
the fateful day, he was trying to evade another arrest when she met her
death. It would have been better for him to be arrested than running to
death,” an eyewitness told Sunday Vanguard. According to the Managing
Director of Primero Transport Services, Mr. Fola Tinubu, operator of the
damaged BRT buses, while speaking on the incident, “Investigation
revealed that our buses were not involved in any way or form”. Tinubu,
apparently, disturbed by the level of destruction and the sheer number
of the buses affected, said the losses, running into several millions of
naira, were a clear setback to investment, stressing that the Nigerian
public must be educated to draw a line between private investment and
public assets.
He believed no amount of provocation should
justify the destruction of 48 new buses belonging to a private investor
who has provided over 2,500 jobs since the commencement of operations in
November 2015 and still counting. “The blue BRT buses did not in any
way, directly or otherwise, have contact with the late young man”, the
MD stated. “Unfortunately, suspected hoodlums took advantage of the
incident to unleash mayhem and terror on our drivers, while also causing
severe damages to our buses at the scene of the accident.
Some
of our drivers are still receiving medical treatment and some commuters
had some of their belongings stolen. “Damages on the buses range from
broken windshields, front, sides, rear, to side mirrors while some had
their interior dented. The buses will be parked in our depot until
repair works are carried out which we expect to run into millions of
naira”. He however, assured that within couple of weeks, the buses would
return to the road. Ambode fumes Governor Akinwumi Ambode immediately
ordered full investigation into the incident. The governor also called
for thorough details into the immediate and remote cause of the killing
of the street hawker with the aim preventing future occurrence as well
as bringing culprits to book. Ambode, who was said to be irked by the
development, immediately, directed the police and other security
agencies to launch a manhunt for the perpetrators and bring them to
book.
He later announced commencement of total enforcement
against street trading and street hawkers, saying that the law banning
their activities across Lagos metropolis would take its full course. He
said the renewed enforcement is in line with Section One of the Lagos
State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003 which
restricts street trading and hawking in the metropolis.
The
governor, while sympathizing with the family of the deceased street
hawker, regretted that the situation led to the destruction of public
assets. “The issue is we need to enforce our laws because we already
have a law in respect of that and then there is a clause in it which
says the buyer and the seller are both liable and that we are going to
fine them either N90, 000 or a six month jail term”, Ambode said.
“What
we are doing on traffic is that we are introducing new strategies to
eliminate traffic but Lagos being a cosmopolitan city, you cannot
totally eliminate it but now this is the case, in the next few days, you
will see on the street of Lagos signs that will be warning you that
buyers and hawkers should be aware that there are consequences,” Ambode
said. He said his administration had also concluded plans to roll
out a massive campaign which would warn both motorists and hawkers of
the restrictions and the penalty for defaulters. “We will be watching
out for buyers and sellers and all we need is just scapegoat. Don’t buy
plantain chips or any other items in traffic from July 1, buyers beware”
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